The present invention relates to a railway vehicle for passenger transport comprising a vehicle body, said vehicle body including:

- a passenger entrance area; and

- a vehicle boarding aid for facilitating passengers' access to the passenger entrance area, the vehicle boarding aid comprising:

- a movable entry threshold arranged in an access position facilitating passengers' access to the passenger entrance area; and

- a vertical position adjusting device for vertically adjusting the access position of the entry threshold as a function of a potential vertical gap between a station platform and the passenger entrance area.

Such a railway vehicle is disclosed by document DE 195 31 284 A1 . This known railway vehicle features a vehicle boarding aid for wheelchair users. The vehicle boarding aid is normally stowed away under the railway vehicle, below a passenger entrance area of the railway vehicle. When a wheelchair user wants to board the railway vehicle, the vehicle boarding aid is deployed from under the railway vehicle towards the station platform. More specifically, the whole vehicle boarding aid first slides towards an outer side of the railway vehicle into a first intermediate position. Then, a tread of the vehicle boarding aid is rotated upwardly so that the vehicle boarding aid is in a second intermediate position. Finally, an entry threshold of the tread is rotated upwardly in order to bring the vehicle boarding aid into its final boarding position. The vertical position of the entry threshold may be adjusted to accommodate for height differences between the passenger entrance area and a station platform.

This known vehicle boarding aid has a lot of moving parts. Also, its deployment and retraction is time consuming. Indeed, the vehicle boarding aid can only be operated once the railway vehicle has safely stopped next to a platform. Hence, the deployment and retraction substantially increases the railway vehicle's station staying time. Furthermore, when a malfunction causes the vehicle boarding aid to be jammed in its deployed position, the railway vehicle is blocked at the railway station until a manual operation is done to solve the trouble. Indeed, the jammed vehicle boarding aid protrudes across the railway vehicle's loading gauge so that there is a collision risk if the railway vehicle were to leave the railway station.

On top of that, this known vehicle boarding aid is not adapted for modern low floor trams, such as the applicant's Citadis trams. There is no space under modern low floor trams for accommodating a bulky vehicle boarding aid. Also, modern low floor trams typically operate on lines having tram stations with dedicated station platforms that are designed such that there is a negligible horizontal gap between the tram's passenger entrance areas and the platform. In this context, the only issue is a potential vertical gap between the passenger entrance area and the platform. Thus, there is no need for a complex vehicle boarding aid such as the one disclosed by document DE 195 31 284 A1 .

Hence, an object of the present invention is to provide a railway vehicle with a simple, inexpensive and easily adjustable vehicle boarding aid. A further aim is to implement the vehicle boarding aid such that the railway vehicle can still operate even in case of a vehicle boarding aid malfunction. Still a further object is to provide a vehicle boarding aid that can be operated without increasing the railway vehicle's station staying time.

The above objects are achieved by a railway vehicle as defined above, characterised in that said entry threshold is fixedly arranged in said access position in all operating states of the railway vehicle.

By mounting the entry threshold directly in the access position and reducing its possible displacement to a vertical adjustment, the vehicle boarding aid is greatly simplified. It can also be operated quickly and with ease since this only involves a small vertical displacement of the entry threshold, depending on the vertical gap between the station platform and the passenger entrance area.

According to preferred embodiments, the inventive railway vehicle may comprise one, several or all of the following features, in all technically feasible combinations:

- the entry threshold is adapted to remain within the railway vehicle's loading gauge in all operating states of the railway vehicle;

- said entry threshold has an outer access end for stepping into the passenger entrance area, and an inner pivot end about which it can pivot around a horizontal axis to vertically adjust the access position of the entry threshold;

- said passenger entrance area includes an entrance floor and said inner pivot end is attached to the vehicle body in the area of the entrance floor;

- the vertical position adjusting device is adapted to act on the entry threshold's outer access end;

- the angular amplitude of the entry threshold's pivoting movement is less than 16;

- the vertical position adjusting device is arranged below the entry threshold;

- the vertical position adjusting device comprises an actuator, such as an electric jack, a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder;

- the actuator is attached to an outer side wall of the vehicle body, preferably via a ball joint; - the actuator is attached to the underside of the vehicle body;

- the vertical position adjusting device comprises a linkage connecting the actuator to the entry threshold, said linkage being adapted to convert a movement of the actuator into a vertical displacement of the entry threshold;

- the railway vehicle is a tram, and in particular a low floor tram;

- a vehicle body suspension supporting the vehicle body, said vehicle body suspension being adapted to expand or collapse vertically as a function of the vehicle body's passenger load, a sensor arrangement adapted to provide a measure for the vehicle body's passenger load, and a controller adapted to control the vertical position adjusting device as a function of the measure provided by the sensor arrangement.

The invention also pertains to a method of vertically adjusting the access position of the entry threshold of the railway vehicle as defined above, comprising the following steps: a) keeping the access position of the entry threshold at a default height when the railway vehicle is travelling from a first railway station having a first station platform to a second railway station having a second station platform;

b) using said sensor arrangement, measuring the vehicle body's passenger load and thus the size of the vehicle body suspension's current collapse;

c) when the railway vehicle has stopped at the second railway station, controlling the vertical position adjusting device to vertically adjust the access position of the entry threshold as a function of the measured passenger load, thus compensating a potential vertical gap between the passenger entrance area and the second station platform; and d) when the railway vehicle leaves the second railway station, controlling the vertical position adjusting device to move the entry threshold back to the access position's default height.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, seen from the top, of a tramway according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of an inventive vehicle boarding aid, in a configuration with no passenger load;

Figure 3 shows the vehicle boarding aid of Figure 2 in a configuration with high passenger load;

Figures 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of an inventive vehicle boarding aid; Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of an inventive vehicle boarding aid; and Figure 7 illustrates the angular amplitude of the pivoting movement of an inventive entry threshold.

With reference to Figure 1 , there is shown a tramway 1 according to the invention. Preferably, tramway 1 is a low floor tram such as the Citadis trams manufactured by the applicant. Tramway (Tram set) 1 can for example have a total of five passenger compartments, namely three seating compartments 3 and two open space compartments 5. The open space compartments 5 are designed to accommodate wheelchairs or pushchairs and/or are adapted to disabled people. Each compartment 3, 5 has a body 6 with one or more passenger entrance areas 7 that are opened and closed with doors 9. Each passenger entrance area 7 has an entrance floor 10.

The inventive vehicle boarding aid facilitates access to the tramway 1 , in particular for wheelchair users and other disabled people, or for parents with pushchairs. The inventive vehicle boarding aid can either be installed at each of the doors 9 of the tram 1 , as indicated by arrows A, or only at the doors 9 of the open space compartments 5, as indicated by arrows B.

A first embodiment 100 of the inventive vehicle boarding aid is shown in Figures 2 and 3. In Figures 2 and 3, tram 1 stops at the platform 1 1 of a tram station. Platform 1 1 is located at a height Hp above rail level 13. The upper end of body 6 of compartments 3, 5 is located at a height Hb above rail level 13. Body 6 is supported by a suspension 12.

Vehicle boarding aid 100 is designed such that it always remains within the tram's loading gauge Lg (indicated by a chain-dotted line), regardless of the vehicle boarding aid's operating state.

Vehicle boarding aid 100 comprises a pivotable entry threshold 102 and a vertical position adjusting device 104. Entry threshold 102 has an outer access end 106 for stepping into the passenger entrance area 7, and an inner pivot end 108 about which it can pivot around a horizontal axis X. The entry threshold's inner pivot end 108 is attached to the body 6 in the area of the entrance floor 10 via a pivot joint 1 10. Preferably, the outer access end 106 is bent downwards.

Entry threshold 102 is fixedly arranged on the body 6 in an access position Ap. The access position Ap is a position in which a passenger can step from platform 1 1 onto entry threshold 102 to enter the passenger entrance area 7. In other words, entry threshold 102 always remains in the access position Ap, in all operating states of tram 1 . Hence, entry threshold 102 always guarantees access to tram 1 .

Vertical position adjusting device 104 is designed to vertically adjust the access position Ap of the entry threshold 102 as a function of a potential vertical gap Gv between the station platform 1 1 and the entrance floor 10. Vertical position adjusting device 104 is positioned below entry threshold 102. A supporting end 1 12 of vertical position adjusting device 104 is attached to an outer side wall 15 of body 6, preferably via a ball joint 1 14. An adjusting end 1 16 of vertical position adjusting device 104 is attached to entry threshold 102. Preferably, the adjusting end 1 16 acts on the outer access end 106.

Vertical position adjusting device 104 can linearly expand and contract in order to modify the distance D between the entry threshold 102 and its supporting end 1 12.

In order to modify the distance D, vertical position adjusting device 104 comprises an actuator 1 18, such as an electric jack, a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.

The actuator 1 18 is controlled via a controller 120. Preferably, controller 120 corresponds to the Train Control Management System (TCMS) of tram 1 . Controller 120 receives an input from a sensor arrangement 122 that provides a measure for the passenger load of body 6. Preferably, sensor arrangement 122 includes a load sensor or a passenger counting sensor. Sensor arrangement 122 may also comprise an optical sensor, e.g. a laser sensor, preferably mounted on the outside of tram body 6, adapted to measure the vertical distance between the station platform 1 1 and the entrance floor 10.

Fig. 2 illustrates the configuration of the inventive vehicle boarding aid 100 when no passengers are present in tram body 6. The suspension 12 is in an expanded state and there is a substantial vertical gap Gv between the entrance floor 10 and the platform 1 1 . Thanks to the load sensor 122, controller 120 is aware that there is no passenger load. Controller 120 has therefore retracted actuator 1 18 so that the access position Ap of entry threshold 102 is tilted downwardly. Consequently, entry threshold 102 bridges vertical gap Gv, thus facilitating access to tram body 6.

Fig. 3 illustrates the configuration of the inventive vehicle boarding aid 100 when a large number of passengers are present in tram body 6. The suspension 12 is in a collapsed state and there is only a small vertical gap Gv between the entrance floor 10 and the platform 1 1 . Thanks to the load sensor 122, controller 120 is aware that there is a high passenger load. Controller 120 has therefore extended actuator 1 18, thus pivoting entry threshold 102 upwardly around horizontal axis X (as indicated by arrow R). Accordingly, the access position Ap of entry threshold 102 is substantially horizontal. Entry threshold 102 bridges the small vertical gap Gv, thus facilitating access to tram body 6.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment 200 of the vehicle boarding aid according to the invention. Figure 5 is a longitudinal external side view of second embodiment 200 according to arrow V in Figure 4.

Vehicle boarding aid 200 is different from vehicle boarding aid 100 in that the adjusting end 216 of vertical position adjusting device 204 is connected to entry threshold 202 via a joint 215, in particular a ball joint. Thanks to the joint 215, the vertical position adjusting device 204 of this embodiment 200 has an inclined orientation and thus takes up less space in the vertical direction compared to the vertical position adjusting device 104 of the first embodiment 100 with its generally vertical orientation. In particular, vertical position adjusting device 204 is arranged such that the space E corresponding to the gap between car body 6 and station platform 1 1 (cf. Figure 4) is not obstructed. With reference to Fig. 5, entry threshold 202 can rotate around a horizontal axis X located at the inner pivot end 208.

Figure 6 shows a third embodiment 300 of the vehicle boarding aid according to the invention. In this embodiment, the actuator 318 of the vertical position adjusting device 304 is mounted to the underside 16 of the tram body 6. The actuator 318 can also be set up inside the carbody shell and pass through the car body structure.

The vertical position adjusting device 304 also comprises a linkage 319 connecting the actuator 318 to the entry threshold 302, said linkage 319 being adapted to convert a linear movement of the actuator 318 into a rotation of the entry threshold 302 around the horizontal pivoting axis X. Linkage 319 comprises an angled link 321 whose lower link end 323 is attached to the actuator 318, and whose upper link end 325 is attached to the tram body 6. The angle 327 of angled link 321 is linked to the lower rod end 329 of a rod 331 . The upper rod end 333 of rod 331 is linked to the outer access end 306 of entry threshold 302.

Fig. 7 illustrates the angular amplitude a of the entry threshold's pivoting movement. According to the invention, the access position Ap of entry threshold 102 can be adjusted between a substantially horizontal default position Pd and a maximum inclined position Pm. The access position Ap is set by the controller 120 to the default position Pd when the tram 1 is travelling between tram stations. When tram 1 enters a tram station and slows down, controller 120 already adjusts the vertical position of the entry threshold 102, 202, 302 to the upcoming station platform 1 1 so that the entry threshold already has the right inclination for bridging the vertical gap Gv between station platform 1 1 and the passenger area 7 when tram 1 comes to a complete stop. Furthermore, the entry threshold is brought back into the default position Pd once the tram 1 has started leaving the tram station. Hence, the adjustment of the inventive entry threshold does not increase the length of time that tram 1 has to stay in the tram station.

The access position Ap may be set to the maximum inclined position Pm when the vertical gap between the platform 1 1 and the entrance floor 10 is at a maximum. Preferably, the angle a is less than or equal to 16°. This corresponds e.g. to a maximum height adjustment Ah of around 45 mm.